


Into Darkness, Into Light

by lunettawolf321



Category: Linked Universe - Fandom, LinkedUniverse - Fandom, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Angst, Athazagoraphobia, Blood, Darkness, Fear of Death, Fear of Rats, Fear of Surprises, Fighting, Friendship, Gen, I can't find what some of these fears are called so I'm just describing them, Mentions of Heartbreak, Minor Injuries, Musophobia, Nyctophobia, References to Depression, Talking about fears, fear of darkness, fear of forgetting, fear of heartbreak, fears, small spaces
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-25
Updated: 2020-05-25
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:28:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24372799
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lunettawolf321/pseuds/lunettawolf321
Summary: An escapade into the ruins of an old temple end in more trouble than Twilight was expecting, but at least he has some good friends by his side.
Comments: 5
Kudos: 129





	Into Darkness, Into Light

**Author's Note:**

> This ended up so much longer than I was expecting! Oh well, enjoy!
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing of the Legend of Zelda series and the amazing Linked Universe AU is from Jojo56830 on Tumblr.

“This better be the last time we let Hyrule choose which direction to go,” a waspish voice complains.   
  
Twilight can’t help but roll his eyes. He turns around and pins the whiner with a firm glare. “C’mon Legend. Is it really going to kill you to explore this old place with us?”  
  
“This old place” is actually the dusty, dirty ruins of what Twilight expects might have once been a beautiful temple. The walls that are still standing reach nearly forty feet high and they are made of a dull yellow stone. At the top, there are large arching windows that let the sunlight stream in and cast the area in the gentle light of morning. The white marble floor is still bright, despite the deep cracks running down it and the layers of filth and dirt covering most of it. Intricately carved statues of huge beaked birds and fearsome beast-men line the walls like sentinels, standing several feet taller than even the tallest of their group. Twilight can see that at some point in the past half the ceiling had caved in, the rubble mostly removed. The part of it that remains is a faded red color and he thinks he sees what is left of a stained glass skylight near its center. The sun is catching on what little blue and purple glass still clings to the metal frame of the window, casting enchanting speckles of color along a tiny portion of the floor and wall. There’s a large gap near the back of the barrel shaped room where a wall used to be. Instead, nature has crept its way in to reclaim this area. Wispy grass, delicate wildflowers, and twisting verdant vines have crawled their way across the marble floor, up the walls, and even onto some of the statues. A broken alter stands near here atop a cracked dais, with soft pink petals of verbena climbing around its base.   
  
Legend meets the older boy’s gaze with his own angry one. “Maybe! We’re in Hyrule’s home and he said he’s never seen this place before. Who knows what’s in here!”  
  
“You act like you’ve never been in a temple full of monsters before,” Four jokes. The short hero had been examining some carvings etched into the rough sandy walls of the ruins, but now his attention is on his arguing friends.   
  
“Of course I have. But Hyrule’s time has more monsters than all of ours combined and we’ve been fighting for days. So excuse me for not being in the mood to be ambushed!”  
  
“We’re not going to get ambushed. Calm down,” Twilight sighs. This temple might be pretty, but the heavy dust lingering in the air is making his nose itch with a coming sneeze. Not to mention it’s giving him the beginnings of what he knows is going to be a terrible headache. He’s really not in the mood to deal with a grumpy teenager _and_ a pounding head.   
  
Legend’s face tinges red from temper. Now he’s done it, he thinks. Legend hates being told to calm down, hates it the most out of all the things he’s mentioned annoy him. Twilight knows better than to say that to the younger boy. The first time Warriors had done it, the strawberry blonde had spat out a retort about his foot and the Captain’s ass with such venom Time had actually yelled at Legend to watch his mouth. He prepares himself for the verbal lashing, wondering how creative the boy will get with his insults, because the teen has a wickedly cruel mind when he wants to.   
  
Time must have sensed the incoming danger though because he’s at Legend’s side in a matter of seconds, a calm hand reaching over to firmly grasp his shoulder. He points over to the alter where Warriors and Wind are currently examining the different brightly colored flowers creeping up its sides. Wind has a handful of the verbena clutched to his chest. Twilight hears him ask the Captain if he thinks the postman will be able to get them to his sister before they wilt. “Why don’t you go join the two of them.”  
  
Legend shrugs out of Time’s grasp, but does as he’s told. Twilight gives the Old Man a grateful smile.   
  
“Thanks,” he says, once the teen is far enough away. “I think I almost died there.”  
  
“I think so, too,” Time laughs. He gives Twilight’s shoulder a friendly punch, and then leaves to go join Sky. He watches the two of them admire one of the odd bird statues for a moment.  
  
“Twi’, come here!” A soft voice calls. He turns around, eyes scanning the room for whoever’s saying his name. Wild is standing near the center of the temple with Hyrule, waving for him to come over. The brunet is crouched down, studying something on the ground. Twilight walks over to them, his brow furrowing in confusion.   
  
“What are you two doing?” He asks.   
  
Hyrule looks up at him, a bright, excited grin stretched across his face. “There’s something strange about the floor here. There’s a space between the tiles, like for a door or hatch. I think this place might have a basement!”  
  
“Really?” Twilight kneels down as well and traces his fingers over the spot the boys are examining. He can feel a deep grove in the marble. Hyrule is right, it feels man-made, instead of like one of the many cracks from age that crisscross over the floor. He thinks he feels a touch of cool air, but he’s not sure.   
  
“I wonder if there’s a handle to open it?” Wild mumbles. He starts kicking away the dirt covering the tiles. A cloud of dust floats up, tickling Twilight’s nose and making his eyes water. He waves a hand in front of his face, coughing as the dirt snakes it’s way into his throat. The itching in his nose is suddenly ten times worse and before he can stop it a sneeze explodes from him.   
  
“Hylia bless you, Twi!” Hyrule laughs. “Need a handkerchief?”  
  
Twilight sniffles and pins the long-haired boy with a halfhearted glare. “No, I need Wild to stop playing in the dirt.”  
  
The Champion’s cheeks tinge pink with embarrassment. He rubs the back of his neck and gives his mentor a sheepish smile. “Sorry, forgot you’re sensitive to dust.”  
  
Twilight shakes his head, but grins at the scarred hero to let the boy know he’s not actually mad. Wild leans down and starts brushing off the dirt again, this time much more gently. It takes almost fifteen minutes to uncover the entire door. It’s about five feet by five feet, a perfect square of bright white marble. They each slide their hands along the tiles, trying to find some indent of a switch or handle that will open the way to the basement. Twilight lets out an annoyed huff when his search proves fruitless.   
  
“Is there really no way in?” Hyrule whines. They stand up. Wild stomps his foot on the door, trying to get it to budge.   
  
“I guess not,” Twilight frowns. “Maybe it’s stuck shut? Who knows how long it’s been since the damn thing was opened.”  
  
“But how’d they even get it open in the first place?”  
  
Twilight doesn’t have an answer to that. He’s normally pretty good at figuring out puzzles. There were plenty of them in all the places he traveled to during his adventure. This door has him baffled though.   
  
“Guess were not exploring the basement,” Wild complains, hand on his hips.   
  
“Oh well,” Hyrule sighs.   
  
The ranch hand knows his friends are disappointed. Out of all the heroes, no one loves wandering around and discovering new things more than the two standing beside him. He wishes he could figure out how to get the door open for them. It’d be worth crawling around a dusty dank basement, his nose and eyes itching like crazy, if he got to see the two boys hopping around like overexcited children on their birthdays. They’d probably spend hours searching every nook and cranny of the room. Twilight opens his mouth, wracking his brain for something to say that might cheer his friends up. He’s stopped though, when he hears Wind’s voice carry across the temple.   
  
“What’s this thing do?”  
  
Twilight instinctively looks over at the youngest hero. Wind is still holding the flowers tightly in his right hand, but his left is fussing with something on the alter. It looks like a rectangular protrusion of stone sticking up on the far right corner. He pushes and pulls at the object, but nothing happens. Until Warriors leans over with a “Here, let me help” and slams his fist down on whatever it is, the force shoving the rectangle back into the alter.   
  
There’s a _click_ and a mechanical whirring. The noise sounds oddly deafening to Twilight’s long, pointed ears. He feels the ground shake beneath his feet, like _right_ beneath his feet. The room seems to be moving in slow motion, but part of him thinks that maybe it actually isn’t. Maybe he’s just noticing a lot of things all at once. Time is staring at them, expression shocked and fearful. Warriors and Wind are backing away from the alter while Legend opens his mouth to shout. Four and Sky are running towards them, hands outstretched. He turns to look at the two boys beside him. Hyrule is staring at the ground, a fresh look of horror on his face. Wild looks torn between jumping away from the door they’re standing on and staying with his friends.  
  
Twilight thinks he should be doing something, anything really. Instead he just stands there, stomach dropping, as the ground disappears and all three of them are lost to the darkness below.   
  
***  
  
He feels himself falling, the wind rushing past his ears, and then he’s slamming into a hard, cold surface. His world tilts and suddenly he’s rolling head over feet, the dizziness of tumbling in pitch dark sending a wave of nausea up through his body and lingering in his throat. He hears the thumps of Wild and Hyrule beside him, one of them yelping out a curse. He thinks they might be sliding down some kind of chute, but it’s hard to focus when pain is bursting through him with every tumble and the limbs of his friends are smacking into and tangling with his own.   
  
He can’t help but scream when the ground disappears again. They free fall into cold, damp nothingness. Twilight’s heart is pounding like it’s about to burst from his chest. He squeezes his eyes shut as his entire body tenses. He waits for the coming impact, waits for more pain.   
  
Thank Hylia, they land on something soft. He feels something warm and silky wrap around him, cushioning his limbs as he bounces carefully in its grasp. He grunts as the others fall on top of him, an elbow or knee smacking him in the gut. A heavy sweet perfume fills the air. It lingers in Twilight’s nose, making it itch almost as bad as the dust did. He sneezes again, so roughly it burns his throat.   
  
“Ack! Twi’! That was right in my face!” Wild cries.   
  
“Oops. Sorry,” He says through a sniffle.   
  
“Haha... ow!” Hyrule yelps in the middle of a laugh. Twilight can feel someone shifting in the darkness, trying to pull away from the messy pile of limbs. “I think I sprained my ankle back there.”  
  
“In the chute?” He asks the brunet.   
  
“If that’s what that was, then yeah. I landed pretty roughly.”  
  
“Where’d that thing take us anyway?” Wild says, trying to free himself as well. His knee pushes into Twilight’s stomach again, so the ranch hand carefully shoves him away.   
  
“I don’t know, it’s pitch black down here. And stop stepping on me!”  
  
“You sneezed in my face! I’ll step on you however much I want!”  
  
“I said sorry!”  
  
“Doesn’t mean I’m not still covered in your germs!”  
  
“Din’s sake, stop fighting,” Hyrule chuckles. “Twilight can you get your lantern out? It’d be nice if we could actually see.”  
  
The ranch hand pushes himself up into a seated position so he can start blindly rummaging through his bag. “I thought you had one too?”  
  
“No, I borrowed that from Legend the last time we were in my world, but he took it back. I’ve got a candle I could light if you can’t find yours, but it doesn’t put off too much light.”  
  
“I’ve got mine.” He says, yanking the metal contraption out from where it’s stuck on something heavy. He wonders vaguely if it’s his ball and chain. He thought he took that thing out after his first adventure, but maybe he forgot? He tries fidgeting with the lantern, but it’s hard to light the damn thing when it’s this dark. He feels Wild shifting beside him again, whatever they’re sitting on sways a little with the movement, and then a bright blue screen is suddenly blinding him. “Hey! What the hell, turn that down!”  
  
“Sorry! I was just trying to help. I thought maybe you could use the light from the slate to help you get the lantern lit.”  
  
“Oh... good idea.”  
  
Wild holds the slate over Twilight’s hands. His fingers are illuminated with a soft blue glow. He peers at them, twisting the lantern in the near darkness as he looks for the knob that will ignite the oil-soaked wick. Once he’s turned it, the flame stutters to life, illuminating the three of them with its orangish warmth. It doesn’t give them enough light to see the entirety of the room, but it’s better than nothing.   
  
They stand up, looking around at their flickering shadows dancing across what appears to be the walls of a damp cave. Now that his heart has stopped pounding in his ears, Twilight can hear the steady _drip drip drip_ of water somewhere nearby. The air is chilly and musty, except when he moves to step off whatever they landed on. A cloud of heavy fragrance puffs up from the ground again, smelling sickly sweet. It’s like he’s just stuck his head in a bucket of that perfume Telma wears that she swears is supposed to smell like morning glories. It’s overpowering, so much so he nearly gags. He rubs at his nose, willing the sneeze he feels building up away.   
  
He looks down at their heavily-scented savior. It’s a huge flower, with a bright yellow center and four enormous pink petals. The rest of the plant is made up of pointed green leaves larger than Twilight’s head. He reaches down to rub his fingers along a petal. It’s softer than silk and warm like a blanket that’s been dried by a bright summer sun. The flower twitches at his touch, leaves rustling like it’s shivering. He pulls away, suddenly fearful that the plant might be vicious like the deku babas.   
  
“How... how is this thing even down here?” Wild wonders, stepping off onto the cave floor. He pulls Hyrule carefully down as well. Twilight sees the brunet limp, face wincing in pain. The Champion notices as well, so he slides the other boy’s arm over his shoulder to take the brunt of the weight off his injured ankle. “There’s no sunlight or anything. How’s it even alive?”  
  
“No idea... don’t touch it anymore though.”  
  
“Why? Whatever it is, it saved us. We could have been really hurt from a fall like that,” Hyrule says.   
  
“Because, this is your Hyrule, and you don’t know what it is either. That means you’ve never seen it before, so we don’t know if it’s poisonous or carnivorous. I’d rather not take anymore chances.”  
  
“Carnivorous? You seen a lot of plants trying to eat people, Twi’?” Wild jokes.   
  
“Yeah, I have actually. It’s not pretty. Especially when they get you trapped in their teeth.” Wild looks at him, horrified at this new knowledge. Hyrule seems curious as well, but Twilight ignores the questioning stares so he can look around the cave. “Guess that wasn’t a door to a basement, huh.”  
  
“No, more like an underground tunnel.” Hyrule says.   
  
“Tunnel?”  
  
The brunet points over to the far side of the rocky room, where the light from Twilight’s lantern doesn’t quite reach. “Thought I saw a pathway when you were swinging that lamp around.”  
  
The ranch hand walks over, leaving his friends in the darkness so he can search for this supposed path. He finds it easily. It looks almost man-made, like it was dug just so you could get into the cave. There are crude carvings of more birds and beast-men along the top of an arching entryway. Twilight hopes this means the path will lead them back into the temple. He walks back over to the others and motions for them to follow him. It’s a slow process since the Traveler is injured. They don’t have any potions with them, the few the group still has are upstairs with Sky. He silently curses their bad luck. Hyrule was leading them to a village to restock when he’d seen the temple in the distance. He thinks maybe it would have been better if they’d gone and bought their supplies first, but then again it’s probably is only a sprained ankle. Twilight almost tells him to use his magic to heal himself, but then he remembers how tired that always leaves the boy, and since it’s not that serious it’s probably better if they wait until they’re above ground again.  
  
They walk for almost ten minutes in silence. Twilight really hates the quiet. He’s so used to the sound of high pitched laughter and the squeals of excited children. He never has a moment of quiet in Ordon Village. If he isn’t entertaining the kids from his home, then he is on the ranch, the soft bleating of goats and the whistling of birds chiming in his ears. Even during his time as hero, he always had Midna chattering beside him. Whether it was insults, good-natured teasing, or one of the times they actually had a long heartfelt conversation, her voice had always filled the silence. And on this new journey, with eight other boys and men, there’s never really a moment of quiet. So the sound of just their boots scraping along the rocky floor is beginning to drive him insane.   
  
He’s just searching his brain for something to talk about when Wild’s voice breaks the silence. “Is that a door?”  
  
Twilight holds the lantern up higher. The light from the flame falls onto a poorly made wooden door. It’s rotted from age, this he can easily see. There are gaps and splits in the damp boards. It smells a little moldy. Strangely though, it doesn’t look quite as old as the temple above them. He wonders if it was replaced sometime after the building was abandoned. Why someone would need to, he isn’t sure.   
  
“Should we go in?” Hyrule asks. Twilight can hear a current of excitement thrumming in his voice. He supposes it can’t hurt to explore around a little. That is what they were trying to open the door in the temple for, anyway. Besides, this might lead them to an exit.   
  
“Might as well,” he says, reaching for the rusty metal handle. He pulls, but the hinges of the door are so old it doesn’t even budge. He passes the lantern over to Wild so he can grab the handle with both hands. He pulls as hard as he can. The door squeals terribly, the high-pitched noise ringing painfully in their ears. Finally, it swings open. Twilight stumbles back with the movement, almost tripping over his feet. Hyrule reaches out a hand to steady him, but the older boy brushes off his touch with a grateful smile.   
  
Wild gives the lantern back so Twilight can peer into the new room. The light of the flame creeps across a rough stone floor and wet rocky cave walls. The room isn’t very big, maybe only twelve feet wide, and it reeks like moldy food and rotted wood. He spots a few dirt and grime covered barrels shoved into the far corner. He takes a step inside, holding the light higher, hoping to find a staircase or pathway that will take them back up into the temple. There’s nothing. Twilight sighs in disappointment and moves to back out of what he now guesses is nothing more than an old storage room. He stops though when he feels something crawl across his foot. He looks down.   
  
It’s a big, _fat_ rat, nearly a foot long with a thick worm-like tail almost the exact same size. It looks up at him from where it’s perched on his boot, black beady eyes staring him down.   
  
Twilight shrieks. Like actually, honest-to-goddess screams. He throws himself out of the room, accidentally losing his grip on the lantern. It falls onto the ground with a harsh _clang_. Thankfully, the flame stays lit, so they’re not cast back into the pitch-black darkness. He smacks into the wall, his breath coming in painful gasps. The rat just stares at him for a moment, before scurrying back into the smelly room.   
  
Hyrule and Wild are staring at him. He feels it. He can’t take his eyes off the doorway though.   
  
“Um... what the hell was that?” Wild asks, his voice slow and careful.   
  
Twilight finally tears his gaze away from the storage room. He looks into his friends' eyes. Their expressions are equal parts concerned, amused, and incredulous. “A... a rat.”  
  
There’s quiet. The only sound is the slow dripping of water slipping down the walls of the tunnel. Hyrule starts to shake, his lips twitching as he tries to fight the wide grin stretching across his cheeks. Wild is staring up at the ceiling of the tunnel, one hand covering his mouth. Their resolve only lasts a moment before both boys burst out laughing. Wild is bent over, left hand wrapped around his stomach as he fights for breath through his loud boisterous laughs. Hyrule is wheezing, his face buried into Wild’s back. Twilight scowls at them.   
  
“Oh ha ha. So I don’t like rats. It’s not that funny.”  
  
“You s-screamed!” Wild chokes. Twilight rolls his eyes but lets them have their moment. When they can finally speak again, Wild smiles good-naturedly at him. “Sorry, it’s not funny, really. It was just...”  
  
“Unexpected.” Hyrule finishes. He’s wiping at his eyes, his face flushed warmly. “I never would have thought you’d be afraid of something as innocent as a rat.”  
  
Twilight can feel his cheeks heating from embarrassment. He bends down to pick up the lantern so he doesn’t have to look his friends in the eye. “It’s a... long story.”  
  
“Tell us,” Wild says simply, “we’ve probably got a long walk ahead of us anyway.”  
  
“Alright,” he sighs. He motions for the younger boys to follow him and the three heroes set off down the tunnel again. “So, rats never really never bothered me before my journey. I mean, I’ve worked on a ranch for half my life, you see all sorts of bugs or critters hiding out in the stables. But on my journey... well I was in these old prison ruins, clearing out the evil within them, and I was in this one really dark room when...”  
  
“ _When_?” Hyrule prompts.   
  
“I felt something crawling on me. And I mean like, _all over me_. I... lit my lantern so I could see better and I saw more than a dozen rats just climbing on me. One even managed to get up on my shoulder before I could knock it off. Ever since then... I just get freaked out by rats.”  
  
The younger boys shudder. Twilight knows he’s fudging the truth a little. He and Midna had felt the movement across their skin, that strange whispering touch of tiny claws and wiry tails, but there hadn’t been any actual rodents on him. He’d had to transform into a wolf to see them and that’s when he discovered the ghoul rats clinging to his fur. Midna had screamed enough for the both of them as he tried to spin and yank them off. It was horrible, even if they were just ghosts. He still sometimes feels them crawling across him. He thinks if maybe it were just Wild, he would tell the truth about them being ghosts, because maybe it would make a little more sense about why they freak him out so much now. But, Hyrule doesn’t know about him being the wolf that sometimes pops up around camp, so he can’t.   
  
“Okay, okay, I totally get it. I don’t think I could look at another rat if that happened to me.” Hyrule chuckles. The tunnel suddenly declines, the path ahead cast in foreboding darkness. The heroes share an apprehensive look before continuing.   
  
“Okay,” Twilight says to fill the quiet, “what about the two of you? Got any ‘unexpected’ fears?”  
  
He hears Wild hum in thought, “I don’t like the dark.”  
  
“Really? We’re in the dark right now...”  
  
“I know, but we’ve got a light with us and I’m not alone. I mean I don’t like being _by myself_ in the dark.”  
  
“Why?”  
  
“It’s a lot easier to be ambushed by monsters in the dark. Also, I woke up alone and in the dark when my journey began. It scared me... and that feeling just sort of stuck around,” he shrugs.   
  
“Well that makes perfect sense. More so than rats,” Twilight grumbles.   
  
“No way!” Wild argues. “The rat thing totally makes sense when you hear why.”  
  
“I’ve got one!” Hyrule chimes in.   
  
“What is it?”  
  
“I don’t like surprises.”  
  
“Lots of people don’t like surprises. I don’t think you can really call that a fear, ‘Rule,” Twilight chuckles.   
  
Hyrule shakes his head. “No, I mean I _hate_ them. I get totally freaked out.”  
  
“Why do they freak you out so much?” Wild asks. The ground levels out again. Twilight can no longer hear the steady dripping of water. It’s frighteningly quiet now. Their breaths even sound too loud in the silence of this tunnel. The ranch hand notices that this part of the path is more meticulously carved, and the etchings on the side of those same beast-men are more carefully done. Whoever made this part of the tunnel took their time, like it was important. His heart thumps a little faster as he can’t help but wonder why.   
  
“You know those statues upstairs?” Twilight and Wild nod their heads. ”When I was on my journey, sometimes monsters would jump out from those statues to attack me. I guess it just happened so much that my immediate reaction now is that I’m in danger and I need to fight whatever’s surprising me. Doesn’t matter who’s doing it, my instincts say to defend myself. I broke a friend’s nose once when they tried jumping out at me as a joke...”  
  
Twilight lets out a snort of laughter. “Oh Hylia, I can totally see you doing that!”  
  
“It’s not funny!” Hyrule whines petulantly. “I felt really bad afterwards!”  
  
This just makes him laugh harder. Soon Wild is joining in, whether it’s from what the Traveler has said or because his laughter is so infectious, Twilight isn’t sure. Soon though, both boys are leaned over, red-faced and gasping for breath, deep hearty chuckles tumbling past their lips. Hyrule looks like he’s trying to glare at them, but his mouth is twitching and there’s a soft glimmer of humor dancing in his hooded eyes. Their laughs echo down the dark path, a euphony of joy bouncing off the walls of the silent cave. Twilight stands back up, sucking in air like he’s just saved himself from drowning. He smiles at his friend, mirth still rumbling in his chest and making it hard to speak. “S-Sorry... we shouldn’t laugh.”  
  
“It’s okay. It’s a little funny.”  
  
Hyrule’s returning toothy grin almost makes him lose control again, and it certainly doesn’t help that Wild is standing next to the brunet with one hand pressed tightly over his mouth as he tries to muffle his giggles. To save himself, he starts walking down the path again. The others follow him, their pace still slow from Hyrule’s injured ankle.   
  
“So, anyone got any other fears?” Wild asks.   
  
“Silly ones? Not really,” the Traveler hums. There’s a heavy pause. Twilight can tell the younger boy is battling with something, a decision maybe. He glances back. Hyrule is chewing on his bottom lip, his stare focused on the ceiling of the cave. “But... I do have some other ones.”  
  
They don’t press the issue. They let Hyrule make the choice to continue on his own. Twilight does slow his walking though, so now the three of them are side-by-side, Wild’s and his shoulders brushing along the rough stone walls. It’s a little crammed, but he knows Hyrule finds it comforting to feel like someone’s watching his back. Even in a place as innocent as an underground tunnel.   
  
“Here in my Hyrule, because of who I am, there’s always something out to get me. I’m always being hunted by a monster or one of Ganon’s old supporters. I guess I’m afraid that one day... they’ll catch me.”  
  
Twilight lets out a shuddering breath. He reaches up with his free hand to grasp the brunet’s shoulder. He gives it what he hopes is a reassuring squeeze. “That’s never going to happen.”  
  
“Well, you don’t know that. But it’s nice to think it won’t.”  
  
Twilight doesn’t know what to say to that. Technically speaking, Hyrule is right. He doesn’t know for sure that nothing will ever happen. He can hope, but even as heroes, they are still just mortal men. There may come a day when someone else’s blade is too quick, or their will a might stronger than his friend’s. But just because it’s possible, it doesn’t mean he has to think about it.   
  
“I’m afraid of forgetting again,” Wild whispers softly. It cuts through the awkward silence that has settled over them like a freshly sharpened knife cuts through paper. Twilight is grateful for the segue, though he does wish they could find a way to move past talking about fears. The conversation has caused a knot of unease to settle in his stomach and it’s twisting uncomfortably with each passing moment. But, he supposes, it might actually be helpful for them to talk about this kind of stuff. He knows he can’t really have this conversation with anyone else. He’s tried talking to Rusl and Illia, even his Zelda, about some of the things that stuck with him the most after his journey. It’s hard to though, when part of you feels like the person you’re talking to can’t really understand what you went through.   
  
“What do you mean?” Hyrule asks.   
  
“When I woke up... I knew nothing. I wasn’t even sure about my own name. The only reason I found out it was Link was because of Zelda’s voice calling out to me. I’ve got some of my memories back now, enough to get a general idea of who I was before but... I’m not that man anymore. I don’t think I’ll ever be him again. Don’t get me wrong, I... like the person I am now. I don’t think I’m as strong or as brave as the other me, but I think I’ve done a good job becoming this person. But if something happens, and I forget again, I’ll lose this me too. I don’t want to start over, not again. It... hurts too much.”  
  
“I can understand that. I think I’d be afraid too,” Hyrule agrees somberly.   
  
The quiet settles over them again, and it’s thick and heavy with a shared sadness only they would know. Twilight’s chest tightens with a strange nervousness, and the knot in his stomach has decided it wants to spend the next few minutes backflipping and somersaulting. He wonders briefly if he might throw up.   
  
He knows the other two boys won’t make him share if he doesn’t want to, and a large part of him considers letting the moment pass by. It would be easy, if not a little awkward, to steer the conversation towards something else. He could make a remark about them getting lost, because isn’t it just like Hyrule and Wild to lose their way in a tunnel headed one direction. It’s kind of a weak joke, to pick at how often these two manage to lose themselves in their curiosity, but it would work.   
  
His heart doesn’t want to though.   
  
“I’m afraid of getting my heart broken again,” he chokes through the air trapped in his lungs. It’s not something he’s ever really admitted to anyone but himself. He’s afraid most people would think it’s silly, but it’s honestly one of the things he fears the most. He shattered the day Midna left, like a beautiful piece of glass does when you drop it off a cliff. Like a mirror would as dark magic ripples across its surface, leaving behind nothing more than shimmering dust and the memory of their reflections gazing back at them.   
  
“Did you... lose someone?” Hyrule asks.   
  
Twilight nods. “I’ve mentioned the princess that broke my heart. She was... probably one of the greatest friends I’ll ever have. I think we could have even been more to each other, but she left before we ever got the chance.”  
  
“And there’s no way for you to see her again?”  
  
“No. The path to her kingdom is gone. I’ll never get the chance to see her ever again.”  
  
“Oh. I’m so sorry, Twi’.” Hyrule nudges him gently with his shoulder. Twilight knows the gesture is meant to be sympathetic, there’s just not much more any of them can do when they’re walking so close together. The tunnel is smaller now, and if it closes in any more they won’t be able to walk side by side. He wonders if they’ll be forced to move single file. He doesn’t really like that thought. Walking like that in an unfamiliar place could spell disaster if an enemy were to try and attack them. It would be hard for them to help defend each other.   
  
Twilight pauses, which makes the other two boys stop as well. His gaze roams over the intricately carved walls and the rough stone floor. No clues to show they’re headed in the right direction there. He turns to listening for any helpful sounds. Hylia didn’t give the Hylians their long pointed ears for nothing. Twilight concentrates, listening for any noise that might be carried across the air towards them. He hears the soft, even breaths of his allies, the gentle creaking of his lantern whenever his arm moves, and in the distance...  
  
“Footsteps,” he whispers.   
  
The other two boys share a wary look. Wild asks, “where?”  
  
“Up ahead. Be on your guard.”  
  
They continue down the tunnel, though now the air is buzzing with suspicion. Twilight doesn’t know what else could be lurking in the darkness down here, but he doubts it’s anything good. A few minutes later, he’s cursing their bad luck. The tunnel has indeed shrunk to the point they have to go single file. Twilight draws his sword, holding it carefully in his left hand. He takes the front of the line, since he’s also carrying the lantern. Wild insists Hyrule take the middle as he’s the only one of them hurt and it’ll be easier to protect him from a frontal or back assault if he’s sandwiched in between them. The Traveler agrees a little begrudgingly. Twilight hears him mutter something about it only being a sprained ankle.   
  
They walk carefully in a line. The Rancher’s nerves are rattling worse than a runaway horse wagon. His heart thumps painfully in his chest as he can’t help but imagine some kind of monster leaping at them from the darkness ahead. He can feel Hyrule trying to peek around his shoulder, the younger boy’s breathes annoyingly ghosting over his ears. He’s tempted to turn around and bark at Hyrule to knock it off, but the fear that something might attack while he’s distracted holds him back.   
  
Twilight stops when, a few minutes later, he sees the skinny tunnel open up into a proper arch shaped entryway. He traces his fingers over a new carving meticulously etched into the stone of the exit. It looks like a knight. He moves his gaze next to where the tunnel lets out. It leads into a large cavernous room. He holds the lantern up high, trying to cast the light farther into the new room. He can only make out an old marble floor like the one in the temple above them and more statues of birds and beast-men standing sentinel around the exit. The rest of the area is covered by shadows. He steps forward cautiously, the footsteps of his friends following after him. The air here is even cooler than the rest of the underground path and it carries a strange smell. It reminds Twilight of the acrid stench that lingers when his oil lantern goes out. He motions for the others to stand by his side once they’re out of the tunnel and have more space to move around. There’s something strange about this place, he just doesn’t know what yet.   
  
_BOOM!_ Twilight drops the lantern at the sudden thundering noise behind them. The light flickers and dies this time, casting them all into pitch darkness. He hears Wild give a stuttering gasp so he instinctively reaches around Hyrule to grasp at his friend’s sleeve. He feels Wild’s other hand fumble to find his and when it does it grabs firmly onto his gloved wrist. The calloused fingers are trembling, even with how tight his grip is.   
  
“Hey,” Twilight whispers, his voice sounding oddly loud in the dark and silent room. “It’s okay. You’re not alone. We’re going to be alright.”  
  
“W-what was that?” Wild asks.   
  
Twilight doesn’t get a chance to answer before they’re cast into the bright warm light of dozens of torches bursting to life along the walls. Now, they can see that they’re standing in a huge domed room made of the same colored stone as the temple above them. The statues he noticed earlier are lined along the walls all the way around the room, giving Twilight a horrible feeling like he’s being surrounded. He turns around to see what the noise behind them could have been and is horrified to see that a stone gate has shut over the entryway, closing them off from the tunnel.   
  
“Um, guys... what’s that?” Hyrule mumbles beside him. Twilight turns back towards the room to see the Traveler pointing towards its center. Placed there is a large stone throne. It’s sort of plain looking, at least compared to the ones Twilight has seen before. The top is shaped into a simple half-circle and the arms are rounded to match. There are carvings like the ones from the tunnel decorating its sides. What really grabs his attention is the huge knight resting in the seat. It’s armor is a faded blue color and a rusty sword and shield sit at its feet. There’s a trail of large footprints in the dust on the floor, leading from the throne to a just a few yards in front of them, like someone had been pacing the room. Twilight shares a suspicious look with the other two boys.   
  
“Is it alive?” Wild whispers.   
  
“Not sure... draw your weapons though, just in case.”  
  
The younger boys do as they’re told and quickly unsheathe their swords. Hyrule limps forward a few steps, his eyes narrowing as he peers at the strange knight. “It looks like an Iron Knuckle. Don’t know why it hasn’t attacked us yet though?”  
  
Apparently the monster was just waiting for an invitation, because as soon as the Traveler finishes his sentence, the knight’s head lifts up from where it was resting on its chest and turns in their direction. Twilight can’t make out its eyes from the huge cylinder-shaped horned helmet it wears, but he can definitely feel that he’s being glared at. The Iron Knuckle pushes itself to its feet, armor creaking and groaning from all the rusty dents in it. It bends down to pick up its weapon and shield and then takes a few slow stomps towards them.   
  
“You had to ask, didn’t you, man,” Wild groans.   
  
The monster steps forward again and raises its sword. It’s not near enough to them to swing, so Twilight is a little confused. He watches as their enemy’s blade starts to glow with a strange dark energy. The Iron Knuckle waits until the weapon is shimmering with the energy and then it swipes the blade at them in a downward stroke.   
  
“It’s a sword beam! Look out!” Hyrule shouts before crashing into Twilight and pulling him down to the ground, just in time for the beam to pass over where his head had been moments before. Twilight watches as the beam, shaped perfectly like the monster’s weapon, crashes into the wall behind him. It explodes in a burst of magic, leaving dark scorch marks on the stone.   
  
The thundering sounds of stomps reach their ears and they look up just in time to see the Iron Knuckle above them, arm poised to strike. It brings its sword down upon them, so Twilight does the first thing he can think of. He wraps his arm around Hyrule, who is still half laying on him from when he’d saved him from the sword beam, and quickly rolls them both to the side. The sword slams into the marble floor, the clang from the blow reverberating around the room.   
  
“Hey, leave them alone, Bucket Head!” Wild shouts. He swipes his blade at the monster’s back, breaking off a chunk of armor and sending it skidding across the floor. The Iron Knuckle roars something unintelligible, and then spins slowly around so it can try and attack the Champion. Hyrule and Twilight use the distraction to stumble to their feet. Hyrule lets out a bark of laughter as he lunges forward to land his own blow against the monster.   
  
“Bucket Head? Is that really the best you could come up with?” the brunet teases.   
  
Wild grins in a wicked sort of way. “Don’t judge, it’s the only thing I could think of on such short notice!”  
  
Twilight rolls his eyes at the younger boys, but he’s smiling just the same. It’s just like the two of them to be joking around in the middle of a fight. They’ve knocked off a bit more of the monster’s armor, so it’s movements are a little faster as it spins around to strike at Hyrule. Twilight rolls around the knight until he’s directly behind it, and then he leaps to his feet in a twisting motion, slicing his sword up the monster’s back all the way to its shoulder. The Iron Knuckle lets out a deep groan of pain and stumbles forward.  
  
“Whoa! Nice move! You’ve got to teach me that,” Wild shouts.   
  
“If we can all make it out of here without any more injuries, then sure. I’ll teach you.” Twilight jokes.   
  
The monster straightens up and then quickly turns on it’s feet to swipe horizontally at the heroes behind it. Both Twilight and Wild backflip out of the way. They raise their swords, ready to strike, when suddenly a blade is bursting through the monster’s middle, rusty blood-stained armor falling off and crashing into the ground from the force of the blow. The sword is pulled from the knight’s body with a sickening sound. The Iron Knuckle stumbles forward a few steps before it too falls into a heap on the floor, a wet gurgling noise coming from its helmet for a few seconds before finally falling silent.   
  
Hyrule is wiping the blood on his blade on his pant leg, a thoughtful frown on his face. “Well, that was easy.”  
  
“Yea, wasn’t much of a fight since there was three of us.” Wild agrees.   
  
“We should be thankful for that. If there were more of them we might have had a problem.” Twilight says.   
  
“Nah, Wild could have distracted them all with his lame insults.”  
  
“Oh, come on,” Wild complains as he sheathes his sword, “was ‘bucket head’ really that bad?”  
  
“It was terrible,” the other boys answer in unison, before sharing a look and bursting into laughter.   
  
Wild huffs, but let’s them have their moment. Twilight does hear the Champion mutter something like “keep it up, you won’t be getting any dinner,” which only makes him laugh even harder. When they’ve finally settled down, Hyrule points over to the opposite side of the room.   
  
“An exit! Maybe it’ll finally take us back into the temple.”  
  
They leave the large circular room, Twilight grabbing his lantern and reigniting it so they can see, and make their way along this new path. This part of the tunnel is wide, so they can finally walk side by side again. They make small talk as they walk, their voices bouncing off the walls in a gentle, pleasant sort of way. It feels like an hour has passed before the path starts to incline. Twilight is so ready to breath something other than this musty cave air. He can tell the others are too. He notices a pensive look on Wild’s face though, so he nudges him with his shoulder.   
  
“What’s up?” he asks.   
  
“Can I... ask you something?” the Champion mumbles after a moment.   
  
“Of course.”  
  
“You said you were afraid of getting your heart broken again but... how’d you get over it the first time?”   
  
Twilight drops his gaze to his feet, mulling over how he should answer. He thinks about how he felt after Midna had left. At first he’d been angry, so so angry. If he wasn’t cursing her or the goddesses for all the pain he was in, then he was yelling at his friends and family. He can’t even count all the times he’d taken his anger out on Uli or Rusl or Illia. After that had come the guilt. His friends didn’t deserve what he put them through. They were only trying to help him with whatever was plaguing him. But worse of all was the feeling that _he_ was the reason Midna had left. That maybe, he wasn’t good enough, and that’s why she hadn’t stuck around. There’d been plenty of times on his journey, especially at the beginning, where she’d told him he was useless and weak. She’d apologized to him later on, said she was wrong to say those things, and that they weren’t true. But maybe, deep down, she actually thought they were. Maybe that’s why she destroyed the mirror, their only link to each other. Maybe she thought he wasn’t worth the trouble of keeping their worlds connected.   
  
It had taken him a long time to pull himself away from those dark thoughts. Sometimes they still crept up on him, trying to drown him in their sorrow. Those days... well, they were hard. The kind of hard that makes you want to curl up in the shadows and let the days pass you by. But he tells himself, even without Midna, he has people who love and care about him. He has friends who need him, so he can’t give in to the sadness, no matter how much easier it would be.   
  
“I... I don’t think you ever really do, to be honest.” He sees Wild’s face fall at this, so he nudges him with his shoulder again. “I’m not saying you stay miserable forever. You can mend a broken heart, but there’s no such thing as ‘getting over it.’ It’ll stay with you, but you learn to appreciate the people that helped you heal. And eventually... I think you’ll be ready to find love again.”  
  
Wild gives him a sad smile. “I hope so.”  
  
The loud sound of stone scraping on stone breaks the seriousness of the moment. Up at the top of the tunnel they see the rays of midday sunlight breaking through the darkness. There’s a jumble of voices as a heavy door is pushed to the side and then the three of them are squinting through the bright light up at the faces of their friends.   
  
“There you three are! Are you hurt!” Time calls down to them.   
  
Twilight lets out a sigh of relief at the sight of his mentor. “Not really. At least not so much a quick potion won’t fix it.”  
  
The exit the tunnel a few moments later. Twilight breathes in the fresh air of the outside with a huge grin on his face. He’s so happy to be back above ground.   
  
“Hey,” Wild says to him quietly. Twilight gives him his attention. “Thank you.”  
  
“For what?”  
  
The younger boy pauses and then gives him a soft smile. “For being you.”  
  
He’s about to ask him what on earth he means by that, but at just that moment Wind’s voice carries across the air.   
  
“Whoa! Look at that _huge_ rat!”  
  
Twilight whips around to where the youngest hero is pointing, letting out a yelp at the sight of the huge rodent waiting by the tunnel exit. Wild bursts out laughing at his friend’s horrified face, Hyrule quickly joining him.   
  
Twilight scowls at them. “Oh, bite me, Bucket Heads.”


End file.
